Vista Investment Management Invests $915,000 in W.P. Carey Inc. $WPC

Vista Investment Management acquired a new position in shares of W.P. Carey Inc. (NYSE:WPC) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 12,792 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $915,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WPC. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.P. Carey in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of W.P. Carey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of W.P. Carey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.P. Carey in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of W.P. Carey in the third quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.73% of the company’s stock.

W.P. Carey Price Performance

NYSE:WPC opened at $71.31 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $72.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.34, a P/E/G ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.75. W.P. Carey Inc. has a 12-month low of $63.08 and a 12-month high of $77.22.

W.P. Carey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $0.94 per share. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. This is a boost from W.P. Carey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. W.P. Carey’s payout ratio is presently 128.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on WPC shares. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of W.P. Carey from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $73.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of W.P. Carey from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of W.P. Carey from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on W.P. Carey from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their target price on W.P. Carey from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $79.38.

W.P. Carey Profile

W. P. Carey Inc is a diversified net-lease real estate investment trust specializing in single-tenant commercial properties. The company structures sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions to provide long-term net lease financing across a variety of asset classes, including industrial facilities, office buildings, retail centers and self-storage facilities. By employing triple net leases, W. P. Carey transfers property operating expenses, taxes and maintenance responsibility to tenants, creating a stable, predictable income stream for investors.

Founded in 1973 by William Polk Carey, the firm has expanded organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions.